Zero
by hephaestionthewriter
Summary: Mike talks to Stephan about his first case with MCS. However, Stephan has his own issues dealing with a recent case.


**Zero**

By Nicolas

Genres: slash, fan-fiction

Rating: adults

Author's note: I'm trying not to rewrite too much L&O canon/history but 'adding' to it.

Reference: Season Five – Episode 2 "Diamond Dogs"

Feedback: Yes

Main Characters: Mike Logan/OC

Disclaimer: Mike Logan belongs to Dick Wolf. However, Stephan Morgenthau belongs to me and is a fictional character.

* * *

_My reflection, dirty mirror  
There's no connection to myself  
I'm your lover, I'm your zero  
I'm in the face of your dreams of glass  
So save your prayers  
For when we're really gonna need'em  
Throw out your cares and fly  
Wanna go for a ride?_

_"Zero" – The Smashing Pumpkins_

* * *

"I'm going to head home now." Logan stood up after shutting off his computer.

Barek looked up at her new partner. It had turned into an uncomfortable, although successful, ending of their first case together. "Mike, I'm sorry that I mentioned your mother in there today. I know you didn't see that coming. I was completely out of line. At that moment I was so desperate to get a confession that I just felt it was important for him to realize that you understood."

Logan realized at that moment how much he had _changed. _Ten years ago he would have been seething and on the verge of wanting to deck her. But that wasn't the case anymore. He put his hands in his pockets just in case. "I was just caught off guard. I hope as partners that we don't make that a habit."

Barek sighed and nodded her head. "I crossed the line. I'm sorry. I'm usually a lot more professional."

"I'm not…" Mike said with a grin. "Well, you can buy me lunch tomorrow to make amends. And no hotdogs, I'm not allowed to eat them anymore."

Carolyn smiled. "Goodnight Detective Logan, see you tomorrow."

--

Mike was greeted by his son Lennie. It was good to be home finally. Hercules was barking at his feet. "Hey kiddo how was school?"

"It was good. I got a gold star on my spelling test."

"Did you do your homework?" Mike bent down and started rubbing Hercules's furry back. "Did you take him out?"

"Yes, and I need help with my math. Dad says he stinks at math and you can help me." Lennie grabbed his father's hand. "You got a present, it's in the kitchen."

Mike saw the fruit basket on the kitchen counter. "Is this for real or meant as some sort of gay joke?"

Mrs. Shaunessay, their housekeeper and nanny smirked. "Come to think about it – I guess it never occurred to them when they sent it."

Mike laughed. "It's from Captain Cragen and Lt. Van Buren, they are sending me their well wishes for joining Major Case. So, where's Stephan?"

"I think he had a rough day in court today. He's been upstairs all evening. But, I'm going to assume you had a good day?" Mrs. Shaunessay handed Mike a beer. She pulled a plate from the cupboard. "You want me to fix you a plate?"

"I'll come back down to help Lennie with his homework. I'll eat then; let me go see Stephan." Mike went upstairs. He found it strange that Stephan would be hiding out upstairs.

--

Mike opened the bedroom door to find Stephan sitting on the bed. He was in his jeans wearing one of Mike's old NYPD t-shirts. "Hey, I was told you were hiding."

Stephan was drinking a glass of wine. He looked up. "So, I heard that you caught the guy that was killing those pawnshop owners after robbing them."

Mike started to take off his suit. Mike explained as he undressed. "Kid was in a foster home when his junkie mom decided she wanted his company. So she gets him hooked on dope and then tells him that he has to take care of her heroin needs. It was a mess."

"But you got him to confess?"

Slipping on his sweats, Mike eyed Stephan, deliberating on how much to tell him. "My new partner Barek decides during the interrogation that our perp would feel better if he knew he wasn't the only abused kid in the room. So, Carolyn tells him about my mother. Next thing I know I'm spilling the beans about how she used to make me run out to get her bottles. How it didn't matter how many bottles I would get her; she would still beat the shit out of me afterward."

Stephan shook his head. "Mike…"

Mike quieted Stephan with his hand. "I know what you're going to say. And all of it went through my head and then it went out. It worked. The kid looked at me with this new realization that everything she was making him do was so fucked up."

Stephan nodded. "Did you speak to your new partner?"

Mike leaned across the bed and kissed Stephan. "Yeah, I told her how it was gonna be, and we're all right."

"And you did this calm and collected…"

"She knows my reputation. I don't think it will happen again. Now, what the hell is wrong with you? Did you lose a case today?"

Stephan laughed but it didn't sound like anything was going to be funny. "The father of Sylvia Herkund pleaded out and the D.A. told me to accept it. So, instead of the maximum of 25 years he will get 15. He testified against his wife. So, today before the jury he confessed that on the day she died, 3-year-old Sylvia committed the cardinal sin of soiling her diaper. So, they first cleaned their daughter by scrubbing her with a blue pad made of steel wool, and then rinsed her off with peroxide squeezed from a syringe. Then, according to his criminal confession, they made her eat soap. Finally, they dunked her head in ice-cold water. Julie, the mother was found guilty and charged with 1st Degree Manslaughter and sentenced to 25 years."

"Sounds like you put them where they belong…prison." Mike hated cases that involved children. He had been asked by his old Captain if he was interested in joining SVU. Mike had told him hell no. He couldn't handle it. He wasn't that strong. "You did good Stephan and it sounds like there was justice today."

"I'm not a violent person Mike – you know that but I swear I wish I could have killed them. I wish the Death Penalty would apply to people like that sometimes. But I hate the Death Penalty. I don't know why this case is bothering me so much. It just feels like in a month or so, no one will remember that little girl anymore. Some people don't deserve the life they have; I wish I'd the power today to take it away. I don't like feeling that way. I'm sorry Mike. You probably want to celebrate your first Major Case and I'm so self-absorbed about my own."

"Stephan, we do what we can and then we go to the next one. I wasn't going to celebrate this case. There's nothing to happy about; I took a good look at that kid today and realized that could have been me. Now let me go help Lennie with his homework; and then I'll tuck him in bed. When I come back we can watch Jon Stewart."

The End

1 Name was changed but based upon this case recently in Staten Island news.


End file.
